Gubernatorial Candidates Make Final Pitches In Bethesda

Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown hit Bethesda Row on Friday to shake hands with outdoor diners, encourage people to vote and meet up with employees of Bethesda Avenue-based Honest Tea.

Brown is holding a huge lead in the polls in the race for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination and seems well on his way to succeeding boss Martin O’Malley as governor of Maryland. Early voting ended Thursday and the primary election is Tuesday.

“I’m feeling real good that voters are going to come out, that our message resonates and that we’re going to have a good day on Tuesday,” said Brown, who was accompanied by his lieutenant governor candidate, Howard County Executive Ken Ulman.

“We’re looking forward to working with the county executive, your delegation in Annapolis, the County Council to make sure that every neighborhood is safe and that we continue to grow and not take for granted the strong economy here in Maryland,” Brown said when asked what Montgomery County residents should expect from him.

Earlier in the day, Bethesda resident and Attorney General Doug Gansler greeted potential voters at the Grosvenor-Strathmore Metro station. Gansler is trailing Brown by 20 to 23 points in various polls.

Del. Heather Mizeur, the third Democratic gubernatorial nominee, swung by Grosvenor-Strathmore a little after Gansler and then hit the Starbucks in Wildwood Shopping Center with running mate Delman Coates.

She railed off a number of goals — making the minimum wage into a living wage, closing corporate tax loopholes, bringing back the millionaire’s tax and funding pre-K by legalizing and taxing marijuana — that she said were resonating with voters.

Mizeur said her campaign’s decision to stay positive and use the state’s public financing system are two of the things she’s heard Bethesda voters say they like.

“This is the campaign that is on fire, that has people truly excited to turn out and be for something,” Mizeur said. “We’ve been very clear about what we believe in and what we want to get done when we win this election.”